GOOD HATCHERY PRACTICE

✅ 1. Egg Collection

✅ 2. Assessing fertility.

✅ 3. Monitoring weight loss during incubation.

✅ 4. Monitoring temperatures.

✅ 5. Monitoring the hatch window.

✅ 6. Examining the Hatch debris.

ASSESSING FERTILITY

Hatch Of Fertile

» Quickly separates fertility or hatchery problem
» Allows manager to focus on hatchery problem
» Expedites troubleshooting

WEIGHT LOSS

1. Egg weight loss to 18 days..
2. Chick Yield.
3. Developing egg through the surface pores exchange oxygen & Carbon dioxide with the incubator air.
4. Water is also lost through these pores.
5. Weight loss from the start of incubation and at the time piping is equivalent to 12% of the HE weight.
6. It is a normal practice to weigh a representative sample of HE before Hatching commence.
7. If eggs are stored for a six day period then the weight loss is approximate 11.5%of the egg setting weight.
8. Aim for 12 percent total weight loss from initial egg weight during the first eighteen days ( 0.6% – 7 % per day).
9. The air inlet is opened gradually after 4 days of incubation to keep the Relative Humidity (RH) not to rise and RH is kept low during the last days of incubation to enable a 12% weight loss on 18 th day.
10. Increase RH during last days of incubation if shells and shell membranes show dehydration.

EXAMINING HATCH DEBRIS

1. Assessing Developmental stages and malformations.
2. Assessing Normal hatching Position and Malformations.
3. Assessing Egg Contamination.

EARLY DEAD

1. Farm transport or storage issue.
2. Infrequent egg collection at the farm,
3. Immediate setting on receiving at the Hatchery.
4. Long storage under unsuitable conditions.
5. High early incubation temperatures.
6. Improper Disinfection of eggs at the hatchery

BLACK EYE – 5-12 DAYS DEATH

1. Poor Nest Hygiene at the Farm.
2. Bacterial contamination due to cracks on the eggs.
3. Nutritional deficiency.
4. Floor eggs.

In efficient Disinfection of eggs at the Hatchery

EXCESS OF TURNED EMBRYOS- DEATH 18-19 DAYS

The embryo occupies entire shell, and head is turned towards the air cell end. Yolk sac is outside the abdomen.

1. Damage at the transfer.
2. Inappropriate temperature /humidity in setter/hatcher.
3. Egg set upside down.
4. Excess moisture due to high humidity in the setter.
5. Nutritional deficiency or Contamination.

MALFORMATIONS

Head: Exposed Brain, Missing eye , Beak, face abnormality.

1. High early incubation temperature.
2. Nutritional deficiency.
   Legs & Toes: Shortened, bent or twisted toes ,lameness
3. Nutritional deficiency.
4. Smooth paper in the Hatcher basket.

Ectopic viscera: Intestine outside the fully developed chick.

1. 1. High setter temperatures during mid – incubation.

Extra limbs: Extra Legs or Wings.

1. 1. Rough handling of eggs during collection & transport.

LATE HATCHING

Factors affecting late or delayed hatching include:

» Setting eggs too late
» Incorrect temperature and humidity settings
» Incorrect ventilation
» Eggs which have been stored for long periods
» Eggs stored at too low a temperature
» Incorrect setting patterns in multi-stage machines
» Disease or fertility problems

GOOD HATCHERY RESULTS

What is good?

» High hatchability.
» Good Chick Quality

Satisfied Customers.

Good hatchery Results

» HOS % = ‘ hatch of eggs set’
» HOF % = ‘hatch of fertile’
» DIS % = ‘Dead In Shell’

Good hatchery Results

How to measure “Good Chick Quality”

» % Culls
» PASGAR* Score

Weight (+uniformity)/length/YFBM

Good hatchery Results

How to measure ‘Satisfied Customers’

» I week mortality.
» 7 day Body weight.
» A silent Phone…..

HATCHING EGG BREAKOUT

Breakout analysis of hatching eggs must be done to evaluate the breeder flock’s progress with respect to fertility and hatchability. It is an absolutely essential diagnostic tool for identifying the cause(s)of problems in hatchability. Three types of breakout are advantageous in evaluation and problem analysis.

These are:
(1) breakout of fresh, non- incubated hatching eggs.
(2) candling of eggs incubated for 5 to 12 days, breakout of nonviable eggs, and recording of eggs set small end up.
(3) breakout of eggs that did not hatch (hatch residue).

Breakout of fresh eggs is used to provide an

1. Immediate evaluation of flock fertility and to confirm fertility estimated from hatch residue breakout and candling between 5 and 12 days of incubation.
2. The breakout following candling will include eggs determined to be infertile, eggs containing early dead, and cracked eggs.
3. The hatch residue breakout includes all eggs that did not hatch. Candle breakout and residue breakout should be done weekly or at least every 3 weeks.

Regular, consistent analysis of these breakouts will result in flock histories.

» It can be used to diagnose hatchability problems, minimize losses, compare strains, flocks, farms, hatcheries, and many other variables.
» Sample selection and size are important for obtaining valid results from the breakouts.
» Samples should be selected to include eggs from representative locations in setters and hatchers for each flock at each sampling time.

• Sample size should be
• 10 unhatched eggs from 5 hatcher trays;
• All unhatched eggs from 4 hatcher trays per setter or hatcher;
• All unhatched eggs from 1,000 set eggs; as well as many others.

Records should include, following variables

» Flock, strain, farm, date set,
» Machine(s) used,
» Location of eggs in machine,
» Number of eggs set, number of fertile eggs,
» Number of early dead (0 to 7 days).

Number of middle dead (8 to 14 days),

» Number of late dead (embryos 15 days or older), age of each embryo, malposition (in embryos19 days or older), number pipping, malformations,
» Number of eggs contaminated (rots),
» Number of cracked eggs (transfer cracks and others),
» Unusual egg traits (size, shape, shell quality, cleanliness), Number of dead and culled chicks,
» Number of live chicks.
» Clear, accurate records are essential for useful egg breakout analysis.

• Eggs should be removed from the hatcher tray, placed on egg flats, and identified as to flock, location, etc.
• The exterior of the egg is examined first for egg traits, pipping, and location of the air cell.
• The shell is cracked at the large end, over the air cell, and a hole opened in the shell and membranes to observe the interior of the egg.
• If the egg appears to be infertile or contains a very early dead embryo, the germinal disc must be located to make a definitive identification of fertility.
• If the embryo is relatively small, the egg can be broken into a dish for further examination.
• Eggs with late-stage embryos should be observed for pipping into the air cell, then opened with tweezers or scissors from large end to small end without disturbing the position of the embryo.
• The embryo’s position (see earlier discussion on positions), the embryo’s age (see section on development stages), malformations, contamination, and other factors should be observed and recorded.
• Comparisons with live embryos of various ages can be used to train those developing experience in the breakout technique.

STANDARD TEMPERATURES: SETTER ROOM

» Temp., CO2, Air speed, RH
» Thermal pictures
» Check the records on setters.
» Everything is important
» Open machine, take thermal pictures, look for cold/hot spots

STANDARD TEMPERATURES: SEXING/PROCESSING ROOM

STANDARD TEMPERATURES: SEXING/PROCESSING ROOM